There is a need to identify an object that has been digitally captured from a database of images without requiring modification or disfiguring of the object. Examples include:
identifying pictures or other art in a large museum, where it is desired to provide additional information about objects in the museum by means of a mobile display so that the museum so that the objects of interest in the museum are not hidden or crowded out by signs or computer screens;
establishing a communications link with a machine by merely taking a visual image of the machine; and
calculating the position and orientation of an object based on the appearance of the object in an image despite shadows, reflections, partial obscuration, and variations in viewing geometry, or other obstructions to obtaining a complete image. Image capture hardware such as a portable telephones with digital cameras included are now coming on the market and it is desirable that they be useful for duties other than picture taking for transmission to a remote location. It is also desirable that any identification system uses available computing power efficiently so that the computing required for such identification can be performed locally, shared with an Internet connected computer or performed remotely, depending on the database size and the available computing power. In addition, it is desirable that any such identification system can use existing identification markings such as barcodes, special targets, or written language when such is available to speed up searches and image information retrieval.